Posh peaks of the East

Skiing - first the daredevil sport, then the fledgling industry - took its initial North American steps in northern New England on the hillsides and slopes most accessible to established resort communities. Those resorts were where the vanguard of gritty schussers retired at the end of truly grueling days. Technological innovations, especially ski lifts, opened the sport up to less hardy types, but the paradigm remained: mountains were for skiing, villages for eating and sleeping.